I care more about animals than I do most people. I've 3 cats and I don't know what I'd do if I lost them. 2 of them are from the same litter and I lost their brother years ago to cancer. I mourned him as much as I mourned any other family member I've lost.

And who's to say they aren't family members? About 6 years ago, this fluffy black cat showed up at my parents' house. They had recently lost a cat and had no interest in adopting strays, but this cat just wouldn't leave. Every time they stepped outside or came home from work, there she'd be, not looking for food or to get in, just looking for love. Every time I go back home, I expect that "Spooky-kitty" had moved on and gotten a nice warm bed at a neighbor's house, but nope. She's still there. More than a few people have told my mother that that's no plain old cat, it's my uncle {her younger brother, he died of AIDS my senior year of high school}. Maybe, maybe not, but I like to think so.